Bret Taylor, founder of Sierra and OpenAI board chair, expressed his enthusiasm for the potential of AI agents in customer service during a fireside chat at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. Despite sidestepping a question on the definition of "agentic AI," Taylor emphasized the significant capabilities of AI agents, which he believes will revolutionize the customer service industry.

Taylor's startup, Sierra, is building a customer service AI agent, and he is bullish about the technology's potential. He highlighted the step change in capability compared to earlier AI chatbots, citing their ability to be multilingual and instantaneous. Taylor shared examples of companies like SiriusXM and ADT home security, which are using AI agents to improve customer experience and reduce costs.

However, Taylor acknowledged that more capable AI service bots can also lead to fresh challenges, such as "hallucinated" refund policies. He stressed the importance of brands developing appropriate "guard rails" for their AI agents to ensure safe implementation. Taylor believes that as customer service agents become increasingly tailored to each brand's use-case and policies, these challenges will shrink.

Taylor's vision for the future of AI agents is maximalist, predicting that they will become as significant as websites or mobile apps for brands, potentially becoming the main digital experience for customers. He also envisions a shift in how people interact with AI agents, with user interfaces fading into the background as technologists strive to make it more effortless to tap into the technology's utility.

The potential disruption to jobs is a valid concern, Taylor acknowledged, but he expressed optimism that the shift will ultimately be good for humanity. While some job roles may disappear, new ones will emerge, and technology makers have a responsibility to facilitate reskilling. Taylor emphasized the need for public-private partnerships to ensure that reskilling keeps pace with the rate of change.

In a separate topic, Taylor addressed OpenAI's plan to switch from a nonprofit to a for-profit venture, which has attracted criticism. He reiterated that OpenAI's mission to develop artificial general intelligence that benefits humanity remains unchanged, despite the potential change in structure. Taylor highlighted the high costs of developing AI technology, which he believes will be amplified by the new structure.

Overall, Taylor's remarks underscore the significant potential of AI agents in customer service, highlighting their capabilities, benefits, and challenges. As the technology continues to evolve, it will be crucial for brands, policymakers, and technology makers to work together to ensure that AI agents are developed and implemented responsibly, ultimately enhancing the consumer experience and driving innovation.